Interactomics pioneer Depixus has launched its game-changing MAGNA™ technology access program with the deployment of the first MAGNA One™ beta prototype instrument in the laboratory of Professor Jean-François Allemand, Department of Physics at the École Normale Supérieure (ENS), Paris.
Based on magnetic force spectroscopy, MAGNA is the first technology to deliver direct, simultaneous, real-time measurements of the dynamics of many thousands of individual molecular interactions. This is the first time MAGNA will be utilized in a research laboratory setting, marking the transition from development to real-world application. Feedback from this placement will enable Depixus to further improve the technology prior to full commercial launch later in 2024.
Professor Allemand is a renowned biophysicist who specializes in the biophysical measurements of DNA and other macromolecules. As one of the original pioneers of magnetic force spectroscopy, he is well positioned to demonstrate the power of MAGNA One for studying molecular interactions at scale.
MAGNA One will enable Allemand and his team to make precise measurements of changes in DNA in response to enzymes such as topoisomerases, contributing to a deeper understanding of the biological mechanisms at play and possibly opening up new approaches to targeting these enzymes therapeutically.This work will be carried out together with Vincent Croquette, CNRS Director of Research at ENS and a leading authority on the study of nucleic acids at the single molecule level.
The unique scalability offered by MAGNA One will allow the researchers to study many more molecules simultaneously than their current tools allow. This expanded capability will also open the door to investigating more complex biological problems, such as the activity of molecular motors on DNA or RNA.
Allemand said, “We started experimenting with magnetic tweezers over twenty years ago. At first we were working with one molecule at a time, then tens of molecules. MAGNA One will enable us to work with tens of thousands. We’ll be able to study more complex systems that involve rarer events, broadening our field of investigation and allowing us to go into greater depth in our research to tackle new questions faster.”
Gordon Hamilton, CEO of Depixus, said, “It’s immensely gratifying to see MAGNA come to fruition so that more people can take advantage of its remarkable ground-breaking capabilities. We look forward to receiving feedback from the scientific community on the performance and applications of MAGNA One to explore biomolecular interactions at scale, decode disease mechanisms and unlock faster routes to more effective therapies.”
MAGNA One will be available to select academic and industrial labs through an early access program that will be launched mid-2024.
